It is known to print images on window shades or on the slats of louvered blinds. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,443,563; 7,034,248 and 7,207,270 as examples of these. Those patents are concerned with printing pictorial images or decorative graphics on the shades or the slats of louvered blinds.
There are several disadvantages in printing on synthetic fabrics or slats of louvered blinds, one being the difficulty in providing a printed surface to which the paint or ink will adhere. Often by manipulating the shades and cleaning same the printed image will wear-off in certain areas or peel off when exposed to sunlight and hot temperatures as are common in windows and glass doors. When printing on slats of louvered blinds one major problem is to ensure that the side edges of the slats are also printed whereby the edges will blend in with the image and not form demarcation lines. When the side edges are not printed on and the blind is slightly in an open position streaks of different colors will appear across the image and produce a non-pleasing effect destroying the aesthetic thereof.
Another disadvantage of the prior art is that it is difficult to produce large images on these products without distortion or imperfections.
It is also desirable to produce roller blinds and louvered blinds which resemble real wood or weaved natural materials, such as bamboo strips or all sorts of long grasses. To simulate this printed material, strips are glued or otherwise attached onto the slats of louvered blinds. For fabric blinds, these patterns are usually printed on by printer rolls. Because the fabric is pliable distortion often occurs in the image and a repeat pattern is produced on the fabric piece due to the use of rolls. These repeat patterns are visible to the eye and accordingly the end product does not produce the natural material effect.
It is also known to extrude slats for louvered blinds from a colored plastic material which resembles real wood. Often these slats are also fed through press rolls which produce a grain effect on the surface of the material before it hardens. Again, this woodgrain effect has a repeat pattern and the color of the plastic material is substantially uniform throughout the length of the slat.